Reiki: relaxation and self-healing by laying on of hands

By Cornelia Wolter Aug 1, 2011, 4:06 GMT

Berlin - Reiki is a Japanese relaxation technique that also, say its adherents, promotes healing. It uses no aromatic oils, no massage and the subject need not undress. Reiki is administered simply by a 'laying on of hands.'

'You can basically practice Reiki anywhere without much fuss,' remarked Regina Zipfl. A trained nurse. Zipfl is a Reiki master and president of the German Reiki Association. She creates a pleasant atmosphere for the Reiki sessions. 'The room is darkened and there's relaxing music,' she said.

The procedure in a whole-body Reiki treatment is always the same or at least very similar. Following a brief introductory conversation, the 'client' - the term 'patient' is deliberately avoided - lies down clothed on a lounger, first supine and later prone. The Reiki practitioner places his or her hands on various parts of the person's body from the head down. The genital area is not touched -- the hands remain several centimetres above it.

'Most people feel a pleasant warmth by the imposition of hands,' Zipfl said. Though some presume her hands are particularly warm, 'they're amazed when they realize that the temperature of my fingers is normal.' The sensation of heat, according to the philosophy of Reiki, is caused by 'universal energy,' which is what the Japanese word Reiki means.

'All living things are plugged into this universal energy, through which we exist,' said Manfred Focke, chairman of the German Reiki Federation. People can avail themselves of this energy in Reiki sessions, he said, adding that the more energy flowing through the person, the healthier the person is. 'The Reiki practitioner is only a channeler.'

Reiki training consists of three degrees, the first being initiation into the technique. In the second, the practitioner's skills are deepened. At the end of the third stage, the practitioner becomes a Reiki master and is allowed to instruct others.

The Japanese Buddhist Mikao Usui developed Reiki in the early 20th century. The technique was spread in the West by Hawayo Takata, a Japanese-American who was the first Reiki master outside Japan.

The energy flow supposedly channeled by Reiki is said to stimulate the body's natural healing processes. 'For this reason I'd advise someone primarily interested in relaxation and wellness to get an ordinary massage,' said Oliver Klatt, a Reiki master who is also the publisher and editor-in-chief of the Berlin-based Reiki Magazine.

Klatt noted that a person's ailments could worsen slightly after a Reiki session before they started to improve. Someone with back problems, for example, could initially develop headaches.

The people who come to Zipfl have a wide variety of complaints, often chronic disorders such as rheumatism or arthritis. Reiki is also used as an auxiliary therapy for eating disorders. Some of Zipfl's clients are simply exhausted and feel worn out.

'Many of them feel revitalized afterwards,' Zipfl said, 'and this state can last up to three weeks.' She gives all of her clients the full Reiki treatment except those with heart complaints or diabetes, some of whose body areas she leaves out.

Reiki practitioners frequently meet with scepticism. '(The efficacy of) Reiki can't be scientifically proven and it affects people differently,' Focke conceded.

Although many people regard it as humbug at first, most are won over after trying it, he said. A casualty hospital in Berlin now regularly gives its pain patients Reiki treatments because their response has been positive - Reiki eases their pain.

A lot of people intuitively practice a laying on of hands, be it pregnant women who caress their abdomen, toothache sufferers who hold their cheek or parents who stroke or blow on a painful spot on their child's body.

'Reiki relaxes and calms most people,' Focke said. Some even fall asleep during a session, which lasts between an hour and 75 minutes. Others see pictures in their minds.